Kutless – Live from Portland

CD REVIEW

Recorded in their hometown in Oregon, this live album (which comes with a bonus DVD) offers a fair retrospective of Christian rock group Kutless’ four studio albums since their 2000 debut — but curiously omits their best song by far, All Of The Worlds.

Musically positioned somewhere in between the superior Switchfoot and P.O.D. (or, to pick a secular influence, Linkin Park), Kutless rock hard—and often blandly. Reflecting their attachment to sponsorship, no matter how carefully chosen, Kutless sound just a bit too formulaic and corporate.

The lyrics are forthrightly in a worship vein (including a convincing rock version of worship staple Better Is One Day), and singer Jon Micah Sumrall delivers sincere personal testimony about his faith and prayers between songs. It’s all very loud and very evangelical.

Listen to: Shut Me Out; Better Is One Day; Sea Of Faces; Strong Tower; Somewhere In The Sky.